Carrying rod for wallboard panel



1965 M. 1. MASTERSON, JR 3,203,606

CARRYING ROD FOR WALLBOARD PANEL Filed Sept. 16, 1965 INVENTOR. MELVIN I. MASTERSON, JR

ATTORNEY United States Patent "ice 3,203,606 CARRYING ROD FOR WALLBOARD PALNEL Melvin I. Masterson, In, Long Beach, 'Calif., assignor to wallboard Tool and Equipment 'Co., Long Beach, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Sept. 16, 1963, 'Ser. No. 309,099 4 Claims. (Cl. 224-45) This invention relates to a carrying rod for wallboard whereby a workman can easily and conveniently transport a panel of a product, such as wallboard which has considerable length and width but is relatively light, so that one man can easily carry the board from place to place.

An object of my invention is to provide a carrying rod for wallboard and the like consisting of a shaft of material length, this shaft including a rigid foot formed or attached to the bottom thereof, and with a transverse handle by means of which the rod and the wallboard or the like may be carried.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel carrying rod of the character stated, which is formed with a fixed and rigid foot on the lower end thereof, and With an adjacent cam or shoulder to provide leverage when the foot is rotated from the bottom edge of the panel or board and when that panel or board is resting on the floor or ground.

A feature of my invention resides in the particular shape and construction of the wallboard supporting foot, so that that foot can be rotated from engagement with the bottom edge of the wallboard by a rotation of 90 or less.

Still another object is to provide a novel carrying rod of the character stated which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and effective in use.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my carrying rod in position on a wallboard panel or the like.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the carrying rod.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the carrying rod.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 55 of FIGURE 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a wallboard or similar panel which has considerable length and width, and which must be transported by workmen from place to place when erecting a building or similar structure. Due to the length and width of the panel 1 it is quite awkward for a workman to handle, and with my carrying rod 2 the panel can be carried by the workman while that workman is standing erect, and without lifting the panel a great distance above the level of the floor or ground.

My carrying rod 2 consists of an elongated shaft 3 which has a substantial length, and is preferably formed of tubu lar stock although solid stock may be employed if desired. A transversely extending handle 4 is rigidly and fixedly attached to the upper end of the shaft 3. The purpose of this handle is two-fold, in that it is grasped by the workman when lifting the panel 1, and also is utilized to rotate the shaft 3 when releasing the carrying rod from the 3,293,695 Patented Aug. 31, 1965 panel 1, as will be subsequently described. The handle 4 may bewelded, threaded, or otherwise fixedly attached to the end of the shaft 3.

At the lower end of the shaft 3, and fixedly attached to the shaft, I provide a foot 5 which extends a short distance from and at right-angles to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 3. This foot is placed under the lower edge of the panel 1, as shown in FIGURE 1, so that the workman may lift the panel off of the ground a short distance, and thus transport the panel to the desired place. To release the foot 5 from engagement with the bottom edge of the panel 1, the shaft 3 and the foot 5 is rotated, the foot 5 thus rotating in a horizontal plane. To release the foot 5 from engagement with the panel 1 by a rotation somewhat less than I provide tapered edges, as shown at 6, on the foot 5 which thus reduce the required rotation of the foot. A cam surface or flange 7 projects outwardly from the shaft 3, and this cam surface will engage the side of the panel 1 when the shaft 3 is rotated,

thus assisting in the rotation of the foot 5 from engagement with the panel. The cam or flange 7 may be an integral part of the foot 5 and formed by bending the material from which the foot is made upwardly, or the bottom portion of the shaft 3 may be flattened and thus increased in Width. In either case the flange extends across the foot 5 in the plane of the shaft 3 to form a camm-ing surface as described.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A carrying rod for a wallboard panel comprising,

a shaft,

a handle on one end of said shaft,

a foot fixedly mounted on the shaft at the end opposite said handle,

and a cam flange on said foot, and extending upwardly from the top surface of said foot, said cam flange extending at a right-angle to the center line of said shaft and in a plane parallel to the handle, and parallel to the wallboard panel in the carrying position of the parts.

2. A carrying rod for a wallboard panel comprising,

a shaft,

a handle on one end of said shaft,

a foot fixedly mounted on the shaft at the end opposite said handle,

a cam flange on said foot, and extending upwardly from the top surface of said foot, said cam flange extending at a right-angle to the center line of said shaft and in a plane parallel to the handle, and parallel to the wallboard panel in the carrying position of the parts,

said cam flange being integrally formed with the foot.

3. A carrying rod for a wallboard panel comprising,

a shaft,

a handle on one end of said shaft,

a foot fixedly mounted on the shaft at the end opposite said handle,

the side edges of said foot being tapered towards the outer end thereof,

and a cam flange on said foot, and extending upwardly from the top surface of said foot, said cam flange extending at a right-angle to the center line of said shaft and in a plane parallel to the handle, and parallel to the wallboard panel in the carrying position of the parts.

4. A carrying rod for a wallboard panel comprising,

a shaft,

a handle on one end of said shaft,

a foot fixedly mounted on the shaft at the end opposite said handle,

the side edges of said foot being tapered towards the outer end thereof,

a cam flange on said foot, and extending upwardly from the top surface of said foot, said cam flange extending at a right-angle to the center line of said shaft and in a plane parallel to the handle, and parallel to the wallboard panel in the carrying position of the parts,

said cam flange being integrally formed with the foot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Popular Science Magazine, September 1960, page 142.

HUGO O. SCI-IULZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CARRYING ROD FOR A WALLBOARD PANEL COMPRISING, A SHAFT, A HANDLE ON ONE END OF SAID SHAFT, A FOOT FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON THE SHAFT AT THE END OPPOSITE SAID HANDLE, AND A CAM FLANGE ON SAID FOOT, AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID FOOT, SAID CAM FLANGE EXTENDING AT A RIGHT-ANGLE TO THE CENTER LINE OF SAID SHAFT AND IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE HANDLE, AND PARAL- 